Baseball: WVU Welcomes Bethune-Cookman
May 10, 2010 04:06 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
May 10, 2010
BETHUNE-COOKMAN GAME NOTES
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| Grant Buckner |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team plays its final non-conference home series of the season against perennial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference power Bethune-Cookman beginning Tuesday, May 11, at 7:05 p.m. at Hawley Field. The two-game set concludes with a matchup on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
“Bethune-Cookman is a challenging opponent that has a lot of offensive firepower,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “We’re excited to have them at our place and they will certainly provide a real test for our ballclub.”
The Mountaineers (21-26, 6-15) and Wildcats (32-19, 18-0) will meet for the first time ever. WVU shows a 15-11 record, including a 9-4 mark at home, against non-conference competition this season. It is batting .329 in 26 non-conference games, led by junior Dom Hayes’ .486 average (51-for-105) with 17 RBIs and 13 doubles.
Redshirt junior Grant Buckner looks to continue his production at the plate. The Elkview native holds a 14-game hitting streak and finished 8-for-12 with four home runs, 14 RBIs, seven runs scored and two walks in WVU’s three-game sweep over Notre Dame. Buckner, fresh off his record-breaking 10-RBI performance against the Fighting Irish, is batting .364 with eight home runs, 43 RBIs, 12 doubles and 30 runs scored. He also has a team-leading 13 hit-by-pitches.
Junior Jedd Gyorko has recorded 11 of his 15 home runs in non-conference play this season. Gyorko is hitting .376 against teams outside the BIG EAST, and is batting .369 overall with team-highs of 50 RBIs, 21 doubles, 140 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage. The Morgantown native boasts a 36/17 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
WVU has won its last four non-conference games by a combined total of 72-32 over Duquesne twice, Eastern Kentucky and Maryland. Overall, WVU is batting .307 to tie its highest mark this season.
Bethune-Cookman recently completed its first undefeated regular season in conference play after sweeping Delaware State last weekend. The Wildcats are batting .344 overall with 84 home runs, and carry a 5.39 team ERA.
The Wildcats are slugging .570 as a unit and possess plenty of power. Sophomore catcher Peter O’Brien leads the team and is among the country’s best with 19 home runs while batting .391 with 53 RBIs. Junior first baseman Ryan Durrence is hitting .369 with 17 home runs with team-highs of 62 RBIs and 16 doubles.
Junior outfielder DJ Leonard is hitting .429 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs, while Jeremy David shows a .380 mark with five home runs and 31 RBIs. The Wildcats are averaging 8.6 runs per game and nearly two home runs per game.
Bethune-Cookman is slated to start left-hander Roman Lancara on Tuesday and right-hander Rayan Gonzalez on Wednesday. Lancara, a junior from Carolina, Puerto Rico, is 3-2 with a 5.28 ERA in 13 appearances. Opponents are hitting .275 off him, and he has struck out 43 and walked 28 in 58 innings pitched.
Gonzalez, a sophomore from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is also 3-2 with a 4.13 ERA in six games started. He is holding the opposition to a .155 batting average and has struck out 21 in 28.1 innings pitched.
